Title: Influence of Principals' Personality Traits on Their Administrative Effectiveness in Public Junior Secondary Schools in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State
Authors: Arekumo Happiness Ijeoma
Mary Allen Agih
PhD
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: 188-198
Publication Date: 2026/08/28
Abstract:
This study examined the predictive influence of personality traits on administrative effectiveness in public junior secondary schools in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. A predictive correlational survey design was adopted. Although a census targeted 46 principals and 92 vice-principals, field attrition resulted in a final sample of 42 principals and 84 vice-principals across 42 school units. To neutralize common method variance, data collection utilized two independent instruments: the Principals' Personality Inventory (PPI) for school heads and the Principals' Administrative Effectiveness Scale (PAES) for vice-principals. To address the nested data structure, vice-principals' responses were aggregated within school units. The dataset was analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and Simple Linear Regression at a 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive metrics revealed a high manifestation of agreeableness (M = 3.20), moderate levels of conscientiousness (M = 2.85) and extraversion (M = 2.52), and a low baseline for emotional stability (M = 2.40). Inferentially, all four null hypotheses were rejected, proving that personality dimensions significantly predict school governance quality. Specifically, emotional stability emerged as the strongest predictor, explaining 37.8% of administrative variance (Rē = .378), followed by agreeableness (24.6%), extraversion (20.5%), and conscientiousness (20.4%). The study concludes that institutional leadership is deeply rooted in personal disposition. It recommends that the Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board (BYSUBEB) integrate standardized psychometric testing into recruitment guidelines and introduce emotional resilience training for current administrators.